One of the criticisms of the Celtics in their deal that will send Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Nets was that aside from the future first round picks, there wasn’t a lot of young talent immediately coming back in return.

Boston was set to receive Gerald Wallace (with three years and over $30 million left on his deal), Kris Humphries (whose expiring contract comes off the books after next season), Keith Bogans and Reggie Evans.

That’s great if you want to ensure you land in the lottery for the next couple of years, but none of those player are building blocks the franchise can develop into serviceable, long-term options.

A small change in the deal as constructed should help Boston out in that department.

Trade between the Nets and Celtics has been revised, with MarShon Brooks going to Boston now and Reggie Evans staying in Brooklyn.

Brooks is a dynamic talent with potential, but he’ll need minutes and an opportunity to develop in order to reach it.

In his rookie season with the Nets, Brooks averaged 12.6 points in 29.4 minutes per game, and started for the team in 47 contests. His minutes were greatly reduced last season to an average of 12.5 per game, and he struggled to find his niche on a much deeper Brooklyn squad.

A rebuilding situation is a good one for Brooks to be in to continue to hone his game. He appears to have a nice offensive skill set, and could quickly become a fan favorite on a youthful Celtics team if given the proper chance.

I don’t remember playing tonight. I didn’t play. Guys get a lot of money to be ready to play. No Knute Rockne speeches. It’s your job. If you’re a plumber and you don’t do your job, you don’t get any work. I don’t think a plumber needs a pep talk. If a doctor botches operations, he’s not a doctor anymore. If you’re a basketball player, you come ready. It’s called maturity. It’s your job.

Like it or not, motivation is part of an NBA coach’s job.

But that’s also precisely what Popovich is doing.

His credentials dwarf any other coach’s. He can play to his own ego and absolve himself of responsibility – and players will seek to please him. His years of success have earned him the ability to motivate this way, a method no other coach could use without alienating his team.

So, why not hold Motiejunas to what became a four-year, $31 million offer sheet once matched? Houston got something in return – a later trigger date on guaranteeing Motiejunas’ 2017-18 salary. Originally, that decision had to be made March 1 – which would’ve meant dropping Motiejunas from the team this season to prevent his salary from counting next season. Now, the Rockets can make that call in July, after this season is complete.

The following two Julys, Houston will also have a choice on guaranteeing Motiejunas’ upcoming salary or dropping him.

Essentially, Motiejunas is signing the most lucrative Hinkie Special in NBA history. If he plays well and stays healthy, the Rockets have Motiejunas at an affordable rate. If he struggles or his back injuries flare up, they can drop him with little to no penalty.

After they backed themselves into this corner, Motiejunas and his agent, B.J. Armstrong, didn’t do so bad. Considering the similarity between this contract and the Nets’ original offer sheet, it seems Houston helped Armstrong save face after a bungled free agency (which is easier to accept when you’re adding a talented reserve to a formidable team).

But for how little is guaranteed and how much control the Rockets hold over the next four years, wouldn’t Motiejunas have been better off accepting the $4,433,683 qualifying offer?

This means Motiejunas can’t sign with the Nets, who signed him to the original offer sheet, for one year.

I bet it also means Motiejunas and Houston have agreed to a new contract. Otherwise, why release him from the offer sheet? The Rockets would be giving up a tremendous amount of leverage out of the goodness of their hearts – unless this is just a prelude to a new deal with Houston.